Copyright: (c) 1996 Bret Alexander


Help Contents
Astro-Clock Version 2.2 Help File

This index lists the Help topics available for Astro-Clock version 2.2. Just click the mouse on those topics you wish to read.

What You Really Need to Know

Program Configuration

Basic Operations

Step-By-Step

Introduction

The Pop-Up Menu

Setting Alarms

Triggered Alarms

Managing Alarms

Astronomical Data

Accuracy

Problems

The sun and moon rise and set at the wrong times

The help window is obscured by the main window

Miscellaneous

How to Register

Reasons Why You Might Register

Feedback, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Introduction

Welcome to Astro-Clock version 2.2 - the advanced alarm, clock and astronomical sage.

Astro-Clock has been designed from the start to provide sophisticated alarm facilities, allowing complex repeating, messages, tunes, snooze facilities, hourly chimes and much more. Its been designed to be simple and quick to use, yet allowing you great flexibility in how you setup each alarm.

Astro-Clock also provides astronomical information in an interesting and entertaining fashion. It shows the sun and moon (showing the phase) rising and setting as they actually do. The whole system changes colors depending on the time of day - the sky has been made to be as realistic as possible changing color throughout the day with its most spectacular colors being at sunrise and sunset (for best the effect you should use a 16-bit, or greater, color monitor).

Astro-Clock also gives you the exact times of sunrise, sunset, twilight duration, moonrise, moonset, age of the moon, next new and next full moon for the current day. The registered version extends this to any date between 1980 and 2030.

The main window can be fully sized and located anywhere on the screen - automatically returning to that position each time it is used. It can also be placed on top of all the other windows, ensuring that you can see it at all times.

Written in C++  Astro-Clock is designed to be both small and fast. It is fully compatible with Windows 3.1, 3.11 and 95 - automatically adapting to the operating system being used.

Also See: Configuration, Basic Operations, Why You Should Register, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Basic Operations

There are only a small number of very basic things you need to know before running the program…

Firstly, to gain access to the main menu you have to use the right mouse button. All the programs facilities are available through this pop-up style menu.

Secondly, to move the main window just click down the left mouse button and drag the window to its new position, releasing the left button one you are finished. The main window can therefore be easily moved, and sized, into whatever screen position you desire.

Lastly, to quickly bring up a list of the currently active alarms just double click anywhere on the main window with the left mouse button.

Thats it. The program has been designed to be very simple, and safe, so feel free to experiment with it and try all the options.

Also See: Configuration, The Pop-Up Menu, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Configuration

In order for any of the astronomical information created by Astro-Clock to be correct it is very important that Astro-Clock is configured correctly. This only takes a couple of minutes so please take the time and follow the instructions that the program gives you.

The program needs to know four things about where you are in the world: your longitude, your latitude, which time zone you are in and if DST(Daylight Saving Time) is active. Dont worry if you don't understand about longitude and latitude as a map is provided to make selection just a matter of a single mouse click!

If you are entering the longitude and latitude manually then be sure to set the West/East and North/South radio buttons correctly.

Also See: Configuration Map, Accuracy, Basic Operations, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Configuration Map Dialog
Configuration Map

This map is a very simple way of setting you longitude and latitude to about 1° of accuracy - this will ensure sunrise and sunset times to within about 5 minutes.

If you required greater accuracy then more accurate values of longitude and latitude can be obtained from most maps and atlases.

Also See: Configuration


Longitude

Longitude is a measure of how far round the planet you are from Greenwich in London, England. Longitude is measured in degrees, going from 0° at Greenwich and increasing to 180° somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Longitude is given in Degrees West if you are west of Greenwich and Degrees East for all places east of Greenwich. For example New York has a longitude of about 74° West, whilst Tokyo has a longitude of about 140° East.

Also See: Latitude


Latitude

Latitude is a measure of how far up or down the planet you are from the equator. Latitude is measured in degrees, going from 0° at the equator and increasing to 90° at both poles.

Latitude is quoted in Degrees North if you are in the Northern Hemisphere and Degrees South for all places in the Southern Hemisphere. For example New York has a latitude of about 41° North, whilst Buenos Aires has a latitude of about 35° South.

Also See: Longitude


Time Zone

Your time zone is how many hours difference there is between your local time and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), also known as Universal Time (UT). GMT is the time measured in Greenwich, London (without any daylight savings time being added). Places west of Greenwich have negative time zones (meaning they are behind, or earlier than, GMT), whilst places east of Greenwich have positive time zones (meaning they are ahead, or later than, GMT).

For example, Los Angeles, which is west of Greenwich, has a time zone of -8 hours (also known as Pacific Time) whilst Beijing, which is east of Greenwich, has a time zone of +8 hours. So midday GMT would be 8pm in Beijing and 4am in Los Angeles.

Also See: DST


DST (Daylight Savings Time)

Some countries use DST in the summer to provide extra daylight in the evening. This is done by adding one hour to the local time zone.

The program must know about this to adjust the times of sunrise, sunset etc in the summer.

Also See: Time Zone


Pop-Up Menu
Main Pop-Up Menu

Most of the programs functionality is available through it pop-up menu. To activate the menu just click the right mouse button when the cursor is any where over the main window.

The options are as follows…

•	Alarms · Add	:	brings up the dialog for creating new alarms

•	Alarms · List	:	brings up the dialog for managing all the alarms

•	Change Size 	:	options for changing the size and position of the main window

•	Show · Border	:	adds and removes the sizing border from the main window

•	Show · Always On Top	:	makes sure that the main window is always visible

•	Show · Seconds	:	adds and removes the second hand on the clock

•	Times…	:	brings up the astronomical times dialog box

•	Configure…	:	brings up the dialog for longitude, latitude and time zone setting

•	Register · How To	:	details on how to register the program

•	Register · Benefits	:	details on the benefits to you of registration

•	Register · Insert Key	:	once you have registered this is where you insert the key sent to you

•	About…	:	general program details

•	Exit	:	quit the program

Also See: Basic Operations


Accuracy

The accuracy of the predicated astronomical events are as follows…

•	sunrise and sunset	:	± 1 or 2 minutes

•	twilight	:	± 5 minutes

•	moonrise and moonset	:	± 2 or 3 minutes

•	moon age	:	± 20 minutes

•	new and full moon	:	± 20 minutes

This accuracy assumes the correct setting of your longitude, your latitude and time zone. Rising and setting times will also be effected by the local terrain - all calculations are done presuming that the local terrain is flat. Any hills or mountains will also affect the apparent rising and setting times.

Also See: Configuration


Alarm Set Dialog

This is the main dialog for adding new alarms and editing existing ones. The top half of the dialog is where you set the time, date, message and tune of the alarm - whilst the bottom is used to set how often (if at all) you would like the alarm to repeat.

The message displayed and tune played when the alarm goes off are both optional - so, for example, you can have a tune play with no message box, to remind you to do something.

There are some alarms you need to know about even if you miss the trigger time (for example, appointments and meetings), whilst there are others that are OK to miss (for example, daily reminders). This is where the OK to Miss Alarm box can be used. If this is checked then the computer wont remind you of any alarms that have been missed - this would happen if the computer was turned off.

The tunes in the tunes list-box are to be found in the directory Tunes under the main Astro-Clock program. If you want to add new tunes to the list then just copy them into this directory and they will automatically appear in the list-box.

The Chime option (in the repeat section) automatically plays the indicated tune on the hour and repeats it with the hour (6 times at 6 oclock, 7 at 7 oclock etc). The message (if any is entered) is not shown with this option.

Also See: Triggered Alarms, Managing Alarms


Alarm Triggered Dialog

This is the dialog you see when an alarm has triggered, or gone off. When you see this dialog you have three options.

Firstly, if you select the OK button the alarm is rescheduled for you, if its a repeat alarm, or expired if its not (note expired alarms can still be accessed from the alarm list-box, see managing alarms). Note that the OK button is disabled for about 2 seconds when the alarm first goes off to prevent you from accidentally selecting OK as the input focus is moved from whatever you were doing to this dialog.

Your second option is to use the snooze feature and put off the alarm for 1 to 9999 minutes (about a week - so thats for alarms you really want to avoid for now!). You can either enter your own delay and select Snooze or just select one of the four preset snooze times (5, 10, 20 or 60 minutes). The alarm will then come back once the snooze time has expired. Alarms can be snoozed as often as you wish.

Your last option is to Edit the alarm and manually change or reschedule it.

Also See: Setting Alarms, Managing Alarms


Alarm List Dialog

This is the main dialog for managing your alarms. To bring this dialog up either double-click on the main window with the left mouse button or use the pop-up menu.

There are two list-boxes - one for all the current, active, alarms and another for those non-repeating alarms that have expired. Each list-box displays the time and date of the alarm, up to five feature codes, and the message.

The five codes (S,R,T,D and M) tell you what features you have set for the alarm. S appears against those alarms that are under a snooze condition; R is for all repeating alarms; T is for those alarms that have a tune associated; D is for those that will have a dialog message come up; M is for those alarms you have selected to be missable.

To edit an alarm just double-click on it, or highlight it and select the Edit button. You can also Add, Copy and Delete alarms from this dialog.

Also See: Setting Alarms, Triggered Alarms


Astronomical Data Dialog
Times Dialog

This dialog shows a range of astronomical data for the sun and the moon - the suns data is in the top part and the moons in the middle.

If you are a registered user (see the section why you should register for more details) you can see the data for any date from 1980 to 2030 by adjusting the date in the bottom section.

Also See:  Why You Should Register, How To Register


How to Register

You can register the program through the CompuServe Shareware Registration Service (in CompuServe GO SWREG, the program ID is 9931). This is a safe and easy way to register shareware products in just a couple of minutes.

Payment is fully automatic, the registration fee (only $9.95) is simply added to your CompuServe account. No filling out cheques or posting letters, so registration is both simple and fast.

Once you have registered I will send you, via email, a unique registration key that will unlock the new features and disable the nag-screen you see each time you start the program. This key will work with this version as well as the next major upgrade (version 3.0) so you get the next version free!

Each registration is only for one person so please coax your friends to register as well.

Also See: Why You Should Register, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Why You Should Register

Whilst the unregistered program can be freely copied and given to all your friends and family there are a number of reasons why you would want to pay out just $9.95 to register this program…

Firstly, you will stop getting the nag-screen each time you start-up the program. Secondly, you will be able to find sunset, sunrise, moon phases, etc etc for any day between 1980 and 2030!

Also as the registration key works with the next major upgrade (version 3.0) you get the next version absolutely free!

Additionally, and most importantly (to me), each registration will make me a very happy bunny. Payment will enable me to continue upgrading and improving this program and go on to produce other even more wonderful programs in the future! Not bad for just $9.95.

So there you have it, for $9.95 you can make two people happy - you and me!

Also See: How To Register, Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Feedback, Making Contact and Reporting Problems

Regardless of whether you register the program or not (at only $9.95 I really hope you will) I value any feedback - both good and bad! Any comments, ideas and suggestions are gratefully received, and any new ones that are incorporated into the next version will reap you both fame and fortune - you guessed it - free registration and on-line credits!

If you should have any problems then please write to me as I really want to hear from you. Whilst I have spent many hours testing the program it is all but impossible to test every possible combination of software and hardware out there, so if there are problems please let me know. As an incentive the first people to tell me about each problem will also get fame and fortune (free registration and on-line credits) as well as my warmest thanks!.

So if you do want to contact me I can found via any of the following…

my CompuServe ID is 100762,326

my Internet address is bret@dial.pipex.com

my snail address is 1 Ridgway, Mount Ararat Road, Richmond, England, TW10 6PR

Thanks again for your support,

Bret Alexander, February 1996

Also See:  Why You Should Register, How To Register


Problem: the sun and moon rise and set at the wrong times
Problem: The help window is obscured by the main window

If you have the Always On Top option selected in Astro-Clock then when you ask for help the help window can appear behind Astro-Clock and can be difficult to read. Unfortunately this is a difficult problem to get round  - as the help window cant be forced to be above all other windows!

The only work-around I can think of is to temporarily switch off Always On Top and reinstate it after you have finished reading the help file - not very elegant but it works. Sorry.

If you have any ideas then I would be grateful to hear form you.

Also See: Making Contact and Reporting Problems


Problem: The sun and moon rise and set at the wrong times

If the sun and moon dont rise and set at the correct times then its probable that the program is not configured correctly. To find out what errors are unavoidable please see the section on accuracy.

There are four configuration things you need to check - your longitude, your latitude, which time zone you are in and if DST(Daylight Saving Time) is active. Please see the configuration section for more information on how to set these values.

Each of these values effects all of the astronomical times: any error in DST will throw all the times out by exactly one hour; a mistake in setting the time zone will produce an error that is an exact number of hours; an error in longitude will produce an error that is the same for all times (for example, an error of 1° will throw out all the times by 4 minutes); and lastly an error in latitude will effect the rising and setting times - but in opposite directions.

Also See: Configuration, Accuracy, Making Contact and Reporting Problems